The iPod has come a long way since its debut in 2001. Just think it was only seven years ago that we were carrying around Discman's or the bulky older version of the iPod.

Released in mid-September the fourth generation iPod didn't have as much exposure as its predecessors, in fact, I found out about it while looking at the price for the third generation iPod Nano. But as soon as I saw it I was determined to get it.

I found out that Wal-Mart was carrying it two days before they were set to be released, but at the time they didn't have the colour that I wanted so I waited it out. A few days later I bought my brand new eight-gig purple iPod Nano, and it was well worth it. Wal-Mart's price was $15 cheaper than any other place I checked out.


The feature that I was most looking forward to trying was the “Shake Shuffle,” the one feature that many people that I spoke to after said discouraged them from buying the new iPod. But after trying the “Shake Shuffle,” I figured that it really was a pointless feature because you have to shake it so hard (think like you're going to throw it!) to change the next song and all you hear is a cool sound effect, when pressing the next button is just as easy.

“The Genius” feature finds songs that go great together, sounds like the best application ever right?, You would think so, but the genius feature doesn't work on songs that you download from downloading programs like Limewire and most students can't afford to pay a dollar a song from iTunes, so that's an application I can live without.

The games on the iPod Chromatic are amazing. The resolution of the screen makes it hard to put it down. With three different games Klondike - a card game, Vortex - like brick on the previous generations but more challenging, and Maze - A game where you have to move a ball through a series of mazes….by tilting your iPod.

The iPod Chromatic is available in nine different colours, four, eight and 16-gigs, and at selected stores, and definitely worth the $159 investment.